This application is filed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7371 as a United States National Phase Application of International Application No. PCT/EP99/01757 filed Mar. 17, 1999, which claims priority from GB9805938.9 filed Mar. 19, 1998.
The invention provides a valve for an aerosol container suitable for use in dispensing a quantity of the contents thereof and which may be used in the treatment of asthma and other ailments. In particular, the invention provides a valve for a metered dose inhaler suitable for use in dispensing metered doses of medicaments.
Containers for aerosol formulations commonly comprise a vial body (can) coupled to a valve. The valve comprises a valve stem through which the formulations are dispensed. Generally the valve includes a rubber valve seal intended to allow reciprocal movement of the valve stem which prevents leakage of propellant from the container. Metered dose inhalers comprise a valve which is designed to deliver a metered amount of an aerosol formulation to the recipient per actuation. Such a metering valve generally comprises a metering chamber which is of a set volume which aims to administer per actuation an accurate, predetermined dose.
Suitable valves for use in the invention are available from manufacturers well known in the aerosol industry, for example, from Valois, France (eg. DF10, DF30, DF60), Bespak plc, United Kingdom (eg. BK300, BK356, BK357) and 3M-Neotechnic Limited, United Kingdom (eg. Spraymiser(trademark)). The metering valves are used in association with commercially available canisters such as aluminum canisters, suitable for delivering pharmaceutical aerosol formulations.
Aerosol formulations which are generally used comprise a suspension of a medicament, one or more liquid propellants, optionally with a co-propellant, and optionally an adjuvant such as a solvent or a surfactant, though the invention may be applicable to the dispensing of any aerosol formulation. The aerosol formulation is under pressure in the canister.
It has been found that conventional aerosols, particularly metered dose inhalers, suffer impaired performance due to the deposition of drug particles in the valve component, particularly in the metering chamber. This leads to a high occurrence of inconsistency in the doses of drug being administered which becomes particularly acute over increasing numbers of actuations. The problem of drug deposition in conventional aerosols is particularly exacerbated when excipient-free aerosol formulations are used based on the hydrofluoro alkane (HFA) propellants 134a and 227. It has further been found that drug deposition increases with storage of the aerosol particularly when the aerosol is stored at high temperature and/or high humidity.
The invention provides a valve for an aerosol in which there is significantly reduced drug deposition compared with conventionally available valves when the valve is used in aerosols comprising an aerosol formulation for inhalation. In particular, the invention provides a metering valve having a metering chamber in which there is significantly reduced drug deposition.
Accordingly the invention relates to a valve for an aerosol container for dispensing a suspension or solution of a substance in a liquid propellant contained therein, wherein the valve comprises a valve body defining a chamber, a transfer passage through which a quantity of substance to be dispensed can pass from the container into the chamber, and dispensing means which allows the substance to be dispensed, in which the chamber comprises a fluorinated polymer.
The invention further provides an aerosol container which comprises a valve according to the invention, and an inhalation device, preferably a metered dose inhaler, which comprises the aerosol container.
The invention further provides a method of reducing drug deposition in a metering chamber for use in a metered dose inhaler by the use of a fluorinated polymer according to the invention.
The invention further provides a valve for an aerosol container as described hereinabove in which the surface of the chamber, for example, the metering chamber, in contact with the substance to be dispensed is coated with a fluorinated material including fluorine coatings, plastics materials comprising fluorinated materials etc.
The fluorinated coating is preferably a plasma coating, for example, a CF4 plasma coating. Preferably the fluorinated plasma coating CF4 is applied to the metering chamber of a metering valve which may be made from any conventionally used plastics material such as Acetal, polyester, etc. The plasma coating may consist of a fluorinated polymer laid down on the surface of the valve component, preferably the chamber, by polymerisation or direct modification of the material surface by interchange of hydrogen ions in the material with fluorine ions. The coating process typically takes place in a vacuum at ambient temperature. The components to be coated are placed inside a chamber which is evacuated. The fluorine monomer or fluorine source is introduced into the chamber at a controlled rate. The plasma is ignited within the chamber and maintained for a given time at a chosen power setting. At the end of the treatment the plasma is extinguished, the chamber flushed and the products retrieved. In the polymerisation process, a thin layer of plasma polymer will be bonded to the surface of the chamber, preferably a metering chamber, or any other surface of the valve to be coated.
The fluorinated polymer may be selected from any conventionally used fluorinated polymer/copolymer or mixtures thereof or mixture of the fluorinated polymer in combination with non-fluorinated polymers conventionally used in the manufacture of valves, such as acetal, polyester (PBT) as well as polymer blends with, for example, stainless steel (eg. PBT/stainless steel blend (PDX WO96082)), etc. Examples of suitable fluorinated polymers include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinyldienefluoride (PVDF), perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polyvinylfluoride (PVF), polychlorotrirluoroethylene (PCTFE), fluorinated ethylenepropylene (FEP) etc. Suitable copolymers include copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) with PFA, TFE with hexafluoropropylene (HFP) (available as FEP 6107 and FEP 100 from DYNEON), VDF with HFP (commercially available as Viton A), TFE with perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) (available as PFA 6515N from DYNEON), a blend of TFE, hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride (available commercially as THV 200G from DYNEON), etc.
It should be noted, however, that any conventionally available polymer, copolymer or mixture thereof which comprises a fluorinated polymer and which can be used to make the valve for use in an inhaler according to the invention will be suitable. Examples of mixtures of polymers and/or copolymers comprise, for example, up to 80% by weight fluorinated polymer, optionally up to 40% by weight fluorinated polymer, optionally up to 20% by weight fluorinated polymer or optionally up to 5% by weight of fluorinated polymer. Preferably, fluorinated polymers selected from PTFE, PVF and PCTFE are used as mixtures with non-fluorinated polymers. For example a suitable material is HOSTAFORM X329(trademark) (Hoechst) which is a 5% PTFE/Acetal blend, HOSTAFORM C9021TF which is a 20% PTFE/Acetal blend, PTFE/PBT blends (for example, LNP WL4040), PTFE/PBT/silicone blends (for example, LNP WL4540).
The fluorinated polymers and mixtures thereof used in the invention can be moulded in any conventional manner, for example, by injection moulding, plastic moulding etc.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve is a metering valve comprising a metering chamber, a transfer passage through which a quantity of substance to be dispensed can pass from the container into the metering chamber, wherein in the first position the dispensing passage is isolated from the metering chamber and the metering chamber is in communication with the container via the transfer passage, and in the second position the dispensing passage is in communication with the metering chamber and the transfer passage is isolated from the metering chamber.
Medicaments which may be administered in the aerosol formulations, suitably suspended in a liquid propellant, include any drugs useful in inhalation therapy which may be present in a form which is substantially completely insoluble in the selected propellant system The aerosol formulation, if desired, may comprise one or more active ingredients. Aerosols comprising two active ingredients in a conventional propellant system are known for the treatment of respiratory disorders such as asthma. Appropriate medicaments may thus be selected from, for example, analgesics, e.g. codeine, dihydromorphine, ergotamine, fentanyl or morphine; anginal preparations, e.g. dilitiazem; antiallergics, e.g. cromolyn, cromoglycate or nedocromil; antibiotics, e.g. cephalosporins, penicillins, streptomycin, sulphonamides or tetracyclines; antihistamines, e.g. methapyrilene; anti-inflammatories, e.g. beclomethasone, flunisolide, fluticasone, tipredane, budesonide, triamcinolone acetonide; antitussives, e.g. noscapine; bronchodilators, e.g. ephedrine, epinephrine, fenoterol formoterol isoprenaline, isoproterenol, metaproternol phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pirbuterol repoterol, rimiterol salbutamol, salmeterol, terbutaline or (xe2x88x92)-4-amino-3,4-dichloro-xcex1-[[[6-[2-(2-pyridinyl)ethoxy]hexyl]amino]methyl]benzenemethanol; diuretics, e.g. amiloride; antichloinergics e.g. ipratropium bromide; hormones, e.g. cortisone, hydrocortisone or prednisolone; and therapeutic proteins and peptides, e.g. glucagon or insulin. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that, where appropriate, the medicaments will be used in the form of salts (e.g. as alkali metal or amine salts or as acid addition salts) or as esters (e.g. lower alkyl esters) or as solvates (eg hydrates) to optimise the activity and/or stability of the medicament and/or to minimise the solubility of the medicament in the propellant.
Preferably the medicament is selected from bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory steroids of use in the treatment of asthma by inhalation therapy, including salbutamol (e.g. as the sulphate), salmeterol (e.g. as the hydroxynaphthoate known as salmeterol xinafoate), beclomethasone dipropionate or a ate thereof, fluticasone propionate or (xe2x88x92)4-amino-3,5-dichloro-xcex1-[[[6-[2-(pyridinyl)ethoxy]hexyl]amino]methyl]benzenemethanol and mixtures thereof.
The particle size of the particulate medicament should be such as to permit inhalation of substantially all of the medicament into the lungs upon administration of the aerosol formulation and will thus desirably be less than 20 microns, preferably in the range 1 to 10 microns, e.g. 1 to 5 microns. The particle size of the medicament or the medicament together with the excipient may be reduced by conventional means, for example by milling, micronisation, spray-drying or controlled recrystallization.
The final aerosol formulation desirably contains 0.0005-10% w/w, preferably 0.0005-5% w/w, especially 0.01-1.0% w/w, of medicament relative to the total weight of the formulation.
Examples of aerosol propellants for the aerosol formulations include CCl3F (propellant 11) in admixture with CCl2F2 (propellant 12) CF2Cl.CF2Cl (propellant 14), however, due to the ozone-depleting effects believed to be associated with such propellants, the valve for an aerosol container of the invention is more suitably used with aerosol formulations which comprise so called xe2x80x9cozone-friendlyxe2x80x9d propellants.
Preferably, the propellants are selected from hydrogen-containing chilorofluorocarbons and fluorocarbons and a number of medicinal aerosol formulations using such propellant systems have been disclosed m, for example, EP 0372777, WO91/04011, WO91/11173, WO91/11495, WO91/14422, WO92/00061, WO92/00062 and WO92/00107.
Suitable propellants include, for example, C1-4 hydrogen-containing chlorofluorocarbons such as CH2ClF, CClF2CHClF, CF3CHClF, CHF2CClF2, CHClFCHF2, CF3CH2Cl and CClF2CH3; C1-4 hydrogen-containing fluorocarbons such as CHF2CHF2, CF3CH2F, CHF2CH3 and CF3CHFCF3 and C1-4 perfluorocarbons such as CF3CF3 and CF3CF2CF3.
Where mixtures of the fluorocarbons or hydrogen-containing chlorofluorocarbons are employed they may be mixtures of the above identified compounds or mixtures, preferably binary mixtures, with other fluorocarbons or hydrogen-containing chlorofluorocarbons for example CHClF2, CH2F2 and CF3CH3.
A single fluorocarbon or hydrogen-containing chlorofluorocarbon may be employed as the propellant. Particularly preferred as propellants are hydrogen-containing fluorocarbons, especially 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (CF3CH2F) (propellant 134a) and 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoro-n-propane (CF3CHFCF3) (propellant 227) or a mixture thereof The propellants are preferably used in the absence of excipients and adjuvants, such as solvents and surfactants. As used herein xe2x80x9csubstantially freexe2x80x9d refers to formulations which contain no significant amounts of surfactant, for example, less than 0.0001% by weight based upon the weight of the medicament. However, the invention also applies to formulations which include any conventionally used excipients, such as, surfactants etc.
The formulations may be prepared by any conventionally known process, for example, by dispersal of the medicament in the selected propellant in an appropriate container, e.g. with the aid of sonication.
Minimising and preferably avoiding the use of formulation excipients e.g. surfactants, cosolvents etc. in the aerosol formulations is advantageous since the formulations may be substantially taste and odour free, less irritant and less toxic than conventional formulations.
However, such formulations are associated with a higher degree of drug deposition on the valve components. The fluorinated valve according to the invention, particularly the valve having a fluorinated metering chamber, is preferably used to administer formulations substantially free of excipients which has been found to substantially reduce drug deposition in the valve.
The formulations may be filled into canisters suitable for delivering pharmaceutical aerosol formulations. Canisters generally comprise a container capable of withstanding the vapour pressure of the propellant used such as a plastic or plastic-coated glass bottle or preferably a metal can, for example an aluminium can which may optionally be anodised, lacquer- or polymer-coated and/or plastic-coated, which container is closed with a valve according to the invention.
Conventional bulk manufacturing methods and machinery well known to those skilled in the art of pharmaceutical aerosol manufacture may be employed for the preparation of large scale batches for the commercial production of filled canisters. Thus, for example, in one bulk manufacturing method a metering valve is crimped onto an aluminium can to form an empty canister. The medicament is added to a charge vessel and liquified propellant is pressure filled through the charge vessel into a manufacturing vessel. The drug suspension is mixed before recirculation to a filling machine and an aliquot of the drug suspension is then filled through the metering valve into the canister. Typically, in batches prepared for pharmaceutical use, each filled canister is check-weighed, coded with a batch number and packed into a tray for storage before release testing.
Each filled canister may be conveniently fitted into a suitable channelling device prior to use to form a metered dose inhaler for administration of the medicament into the lungs or nasal cavity of a patient. Suitable channelling devices comprise for example a valve actuator and a cylindrical or cone-like passage through which medicament may be delivered from the filled canister via the metering valve to the nose or mouth of a patient e.g. a mouthpiece actuator. A spacer may be placed between the passage and the mouthpiece. Metered dose inhalers are designed to deliver a fixed unit dosage of medicament per actuation or xe2x80x9cpuffxe2x80x9d, for example in the range of 10 to 5000 microgram medicament per puff
According to a further embodiment of the invention, other parts of the inhaler which are also susceptible to drug deposition may comprise the fluorinated polymer of the invention and/or be coated with the fluorinated material according to the invention, for example, the actuator into which the filled canister comprising the valve is fitted for application by the patient. All or part of the actuator, for example, the valve actuator, mouthpiece actuator etc. may comprise the fluorinated polymer/copolymer or mixtures thereof and/or be coated with the fluorinated material.
Administration of medicament may be indicated for the treatment of mild, moderate or severe acute or chronic symptoms or for prophylactic treatment. It will be appreciated that the precise dose administered will depend on the age and condition of the patient, the particular particulate medicament used and the frequency of administration will ultimately be at the discretion of the attendant physician. When combinations of medicaments are employed the dose of each component of the combination will in general be that employed for each component when used alone. Typically, administration may be one or more times, for example from 1 to 8 times per day, giving for example 1,2,3 or 4 puffs each time.
Each valve actuation, for example, may deliver 25 xcexcg, 50 xcexcg, 100 xcexcg, 200 xcexcg or 250 xcexcg of a medicament. Typically each filled canister for use in a metered dose inhaler contains 60, 100, 120 or 200 metered doses or puffs of medicament.